Miss You Already (7/10): Girl Power!

“You kind of look like a superhero.”

Catherine Hardwicke may not be a director who has consistently delivered strong work, but I tend to enjoy her more personal and female centered films. Many probably know her for her direction in the first Twilight film, which I actually enjoyed quite a bit despite the critical hate. Red Riding Hood I can agree with everyone was a huge failure, but her debut film, Thirteen, still remains one of her best films to date. I found some similarities between that film and Miss You Already, Hardwicke's latest movie. Although Thirteen centered on two young teenagers, it was basically a movie about female characters. In Miss  You Already the characters are in their late 30’s but the film also centers on a strong female friendship. It is not every day you get to see a film where the two protagonists are females and both the director and the screenplay writer are also women. The film has a voice of its own and despite being melodramatic at times it does feel authentic. It deserves to be seen. 

I know that there will be many comparisons between this film and The Fault in Our Stars because it centers on a character battling with cancer, but this film deals with the subject matter in a much more authentic tone. It is not aimed towards teens by introducing a charismatic character, but it tries to deal with the subject matter in an honest way by showing how cancer affects not only the individual but the family and friends around them. The friendship between Drew Barrymore’s Jess and Toni Collette’s Milly is at center and we get to see how this new struggle alters the course of their own personal family lives. The men playing their husbands (Dominic Cooper and Paddy Considine) are relegated because this is a film centering on female characters, but they each add emotional value to the film. I enjoyed the family dynamics here and was touched by the more emotional moments. I never felt them manipulative because the film has a voice of its own. Hardwicke seems to be in a much more comfortable position when she centers on dramatic stories and stays away from science fiction.

The performances from both Collette and Barrymore are solid and I believe they are the reason why the film works as well as it does. Collette especially gets to shine since she has some of the most difficult and emotional scenes in the movie, but Barrymore knows how to stand her ground and the chemistry between both actresses was solid. Cooper and Considine also get to have their moments although they don’t get much screen time. The cast is great and the film benefits from their charismatic performances. Miss You Already might not be an original or groundbreaking film, but it is a sincere family drama that manages to deliver authentic emotions. 

My Favorite Collection: The Sixth Sense (10/10)

“I see dead people. Walking around like regular people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're dead.”

When asked what my favorite films are, M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller The Sixth Sense tops the list for me every time. I know he hasn’t been on a role lately, but that doesn’t stop me from having high expectations for any of his upcoming projects because I was deeply influenced by this film. Even his following movies, Unbreakable and Signs, rank among my favorites, and I went as far as defending his work in The Happening (which is a guilty pleasure of mine). His latest films have disappointed me, but I still admire his storytelling and the way he builds suspense in his films (he’s heavily influenced by another favorite director of mine: Alfred Hitchcock). I’m looking forward to the release of his new TV series, Wayward Pines, which seems like a return to form for this talented director. But I’m even more excited about his upcoming film, The Visit, which will be released in September. 

I was 18 when this film came out and I had just passed my final High School exam so I decided to treat myself to the movies that night to celebrate. Up to this point I was simply a casual viewer of movies and enjoyed pretty much everything I saw. I had no idea about film criticism, and when I got to the theater I decided on The Sixth Sense simply because it starred Bruce Willis. I didn’t know anything else about the film and was surprised it wasn’t another action vehicle from Willis. The film had a very slow and creepy opening, but I was sucked in by the story and the building atmosphere. I was enjoying the strong chemistry between Willis and Haley Joel Osment as the pair were trying to figure out what was causing these freaky visions. There were several surprisingly scary  scenes that made me jump out of my seat a couple of times. The score was deeply effective as well. I was hooked from the very opening scene, but I was not at all prepared for the surprising and revealing twist at the end that left me completely blown away and speechless in the theater as the credits began rolling. I was in love with The Sixth Sense and from that moment on I have not stopped praising it. 

I can’t believe all the signs that Shyamalan leaves behind for the audience while he is telling the story, and we still couldn’t see the twist coming. He practically has Osment spell it out in his famous scene with Willis. It was a movie I had to rewatch simply because of that twist, and the second viewing allowed me to appreciate the film even more by catching up on all the symbolisms and clues that the director left behind. In my opinion it is the best twist ever because you never feel cheated by it. I credit this movie for getting me interested in film as an art form, although the transition didn’t happen from one moment to the next. The performances from Willis, Olivia Williams, and Toni Collette are all great, but Osment stood out, and it remains one of the best child performances I’ve seen from a Hollywood film.

Hector and the Search for Happiness (4/10): Not such a happy experience at all

“How many of us I wonder can recall that childhood moment when we experienced happiness as a state of being”

In Hector and the Search for Happiness, you’re more likely to leave the theater with too sweet of a taste in your mouth than actually happy because the comedy is schmaltzy and generic. The dialogue is corny at times, which I can’t say for sure if it’s the screenplay’s fault or the popular novel it was adapted from written by Francois Lelord because I’m unfamiliar with it. I just felt that most of the characters introduced in the film were stereotypical and only served the purpose of developing the story. The plot is pretty simple and straightforward: Hector (Simon Pegg) is a middle aged psychiatrist who gets tired of his routine life and decides to travel in search for happiness. He leaves his girlfriend, Clara (Rosamund Pike), and tells her he can’t help his patients to be happy if he doesn’t feel happy. This is where his adventures begin as he travels across Asia, Africa, and North America meeting different characters who give him different versions of how to find happiness. The first of course takes place in China where he meets a wealthy businessman named Edward (Stellan Skarsgard) who tells him that happiness can be bought with money. He later searches for happiness in a one night stand with a girl he meets at a nightclub. The film practically takes us around the globe introducing us to new characters who play typical roles (a rich businessman, a monk, a family woman, a drug dealer, a volunteer doctor, and an old flame). Along the way he writes the different approaches these people have towards happiness, and I just found it a bit too simple and corny. The film does move along at an interesting pace thanks to the lead performance from Simon Pegg who is always a delight on screen. He has charisma and a sharp sense of humor, but this time he was held back by the script.   

It is no secret that Simon Pegg has done his best work in Edgar Wright films alongside Nick Frost. Despite being charismatic there isn’t much he can do when given a weak script. The film at times feels offensive in the way they portray some of these foreign characters (especially the scenes in Africa). I also felt the relationship between his character and Rosamund Pike’s a bit uneven. At first Pike is portrayed as the perfectly neat girlfriend who is always helping Hector in keeping his routine. She’s kind of like the cool girl from her Gone Girl speech and does everything that she thinks is expected from her. This somehow isn’t working for Hector because he feels unhappy and that apparent chemistry disappears. Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno, Christopher Plummer, and Toni Collette are some of the familiar faces that have supporting roles in this movie, but not much is done with their characters. They are only introduced in Hector’s life as a way to give him a different approach of how one can find happiness in life. Some audiences might find the sweet story approachable, but I just found it way too schmaltzy and false. The comedy didn’t work very well, although i did like some of the animated scenes that were included in the film. There is nothing fresh or original about this film and it takes a similar approach as other recent films like Eat, Pray, Love and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

My Review: Enough Said (8/10)

"I've been listening to this woman say the worst things about the guy I'm starting to really like." 

Directed and written by Nicole Holofcener (Friends With Money and Please Give), Enough Said is a charming middle aged rom com that benefits from an incredible chemistry between James Gandolfini and Julia-Louis Dreyfus and a witty script. At first I had a hard time separating Julia's character from her sitcom roles, but eventually she began growing on me and I ended up enjoying her performance. The true highlight of the film however was the late James Gandolfini's performance. He was absolutely charming and delivers on a completely different range than what he showed in The Sopranos or most of his other film roles. Here he plays a very sympathetic and sweet middle aged divorced father who is having a hard time accepting the fact that his daughter is leaving for college. It was one of his best performances and he deserves all the accolades he's been receiving. Enough Said is one of those rare mature comedies that delivers authentic moments. It's a realistic and warm film that adults will enjoy. People who say that they don't make films for middle aged adults anymore should check this out. I am glad Holofcener is receiving so much love for this film because it's good to have a strong female voice in Hollywood. This is a film for grown ups about second chances and finding love after having failed in the past.

Eva (Julia-Louis Dreyfus) is a divorced middle aged mother who works as a masseuse. Her daughter is about to leave for college and so she's beginning to feel the void her absence will cause. After going to a party with her married friends, Sarah (Toni Collette) and Will (Ben Falcone), she meets Albert (James Gandolfini) a divorced father who is going through a similar experience with her daughter. The two hit off pretty well and begin dating. At the same party Eva also meets Marianne (Catherine Keener), and she becomes one of her clients. Eva quickly becomes friends with her admiring her style and good taste, but when she discovers that Albert was her ex-husband who she speaks terribly of, she begins having second thoughts about starting a relationship with him. She continues to date Albert and befriend Marianne without ever telling them about each other while she tries to make up her mind about giving love a second chance.

This romantic comedy drama is charming without ever being unauthentic or ringing false. It seems to hit all the right notes at the right time. I loved the scenes that Gandolfini and Dreyfus shared together, especially their first date. The scenes they shared together sitting on his front porch were also very touching and charming. Toni Collette's accent in this film felt a bit out of place, but I enjoyed the rest of the performances and every character was developed pretty well. The film does say something important about the power behind words and how much the opinion of someone we admire affects us in the way we perceive others and make decisions about them. Despite how much Eva liked Albert she let Marianne's perception of him influence her in the way she saw him. Enough Said is just one of those warm films that are hard to resist. Gandolfini truly shines here.

My Review: The Way Way Back (8/10)

"Duncan! On a scale of 1 to 10, what do you think you are?"

It's been a great year for people like me who love coming-of-age films. So far I haven't been disappointed. Mud is my favorite film of the year, The Kings of Summer was a lot of fun, and The Way Way Back was charming. I loved this film despite it pretty much following the same formula most of these coming-of-age films do. The thing that stood out for me here were the performances and the emotion involving script written by Academy Award winning screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants). I was engaged with the story from the very opening scene and cared deeply for these characters. There were a perfect mix of funny and entertaining moments with some emotional drama. Liam James delivers a strong lead performance although at times he overdoes the physical aspect a bit by shrugging his shoulders a little too much (especially during the first half of the film until he begins building his confidence). It felt like he was trying too hard to point out that he was shy and lost, but I still sympathized with his character. The true stars of this film however are the secondary characters. Sam Rockwell gives yet another spectacular performance and he owns this movie. It was a pleasure to see his character on screen and he had great chemistry with Liam as he helped the kid grow and became a sort of a father figure to him. Steve Carell hits all the right notes in this film as the douche bag without overselling the performance. No matter how much you may love him as an actor, he genuinely is despiteful in this movie. Allison Janney is also hilarious in this movie. For a coming of age film I thought the adult actors were much better than the kids (at least their characters were better developed), and the location truly felt like a Spring Break for adults. Faxon and Rash not only wrote the script, they also played secondary characters (they were also really funny), and this was their first film as directors. I really liked this movie and thought it was even better than Payne's The Descendants which they helped write. The Way Way Back gets my respects and I definitely recommend this movie.

Fourteen year old Duncan (Liam James) is a shy and lonely kid who is being forced by his mom, Pam (Toni Collette) to travel with her to her boyfriend's beach house for the summer. She has been dating Trent (Steve Carrell) for over a year now and they decide to travel together along with his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Once they arrive to their destiny they are welcomed by Trent's single sister, Betty (Allison Janney) and her two kids: Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) and Peter (River Alexander). Duncan has a difficult time talking to anyone and would have preferred going to his father's house in California (especially since Trent treats him so badly). At this unexpected place he begins to find himself when he accepts a summer job at a water park managed by the goofy Owen (Sam Rockwell). Owen takes a liking for the shy kid and teaches him a few life lessons. He also befriends the rest of the employees of the park including Caitlin (Maya Rudolph), Roddy (Nat Faxon), and Lewis (Jim Rash). He tries to spend as much time as he can in the water park, since back home the only person he can actually talk to is Susanna with whom a nice friendship slowly begins to form. Rob Corddry and Amanda Peet also star in this film as Trent's friends with whom they spend most of the time.

The Way Way Back has some similarities to Adventureland and although that film might be a little better I still think The Way Way Back holds its own mainly because of how great Sam Rockwell is here. It was easy for me to identify with Duncan and the film builds on that nostalgic sentiment of adolescence at times. Some elements may seem familiar or taken from other movies, but they still work in a unique way here. I really wouldn't mind watching this film again because it was a pleasant experience. It's like a summer destiny I would like to visit again the following summer. I loved how they managed to turn so many familiar elements from the genre and make them feel fresh and new. There are moments where you will find yourself laughing hard and then the next minute you will feel heart broken. I also loved the soundtrack for this film. The Way Way Back is a very enjoyable film, especially if coming-of-age films are you sort of thing.

My Review: Fright Night (6/10)

¨Hey, guy. You've been watching me. I've been watching you.¨

Fright Night is a remake of the 1985 cult classic film of the same name which was written and directed by Tom Holland (known for several 80`s and 90`s horror flicks including Child`s Play and the TV series Tales from the Crypt). Some people don`t like the fact that these classic movies are being remade, but if done well it can work because a new generation that would`ve probably never seen the original can now be familiar with it. Director Craig Gillespie does a great job at adapting the story and bringing it to the big screen once again. He makes a few touches here and there, but the main idea is still there and there is even a cameo from Chris Sarandon (the actor that played the vampire in the first movie). Some of the most memorable lines from the original movie are also included here. Gillespie takes an entirely different approach than he did with his first film, Lars and the Real Girl, but he makes a decent horror/comedy film which stays true to the original so I think fans of that movie won`t be disappointed with this. Fright Night is much better than most horror films we`ve seen lately, although there isn`t as much scares as there are funny moments. The film is lifted by some strong performances from Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Anton Yelchin, and Imogen Poots. The other positive thing about Fright Night is that Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer, Marti Noxon, was involved in the adaptation of the screenplay which is pretty slick and funny.

Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is probably having the best year of his life. He seems to have been accepted with the cool group of his High School and is dating one of the hottest girls in school, Amy (Imogen Poots). Charley is having a great time with his new friends and tries to ignore his old geek buddy Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) as much as he can, but Ed is worried about some mysterious disappearances in the Las Vegas neighborhood and tells Charley that his new neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Ed has been spying on Jerry and has discovered his secret, but Charley doesn`t believe him at first until he sees things on his own. Charley warns his mother, Jane (Toni Collette), not to trust Jerry and under any circumstance invite him into the house, but Jane thinks he is just being a jealous son and ignores him at first. Jerry realizes that Charley is on to him and threatens him and his girlfriend. Charley decides it`s time to face Jerry and end his 400 year life. In order to do so he enlists the help of Peter Vincent (David Tennant), a Vegas performer who claims to be a Vampire slayer, but of course this is all just a gimmick. Vincent believes Charley is crazy at first, but he soon will find out the truth about Jerry, and discover some things about his own past.

Beside the fact that Colin Farrell delivers a perfect performance as Jerry the vampire, the other thing that Fright Night has going for it is that it has a clever and funny script. There are few scares; the movie knows it works best as a comedy in the same way that Zombieland had success making fun of its zombies. This time the jokes are about vampires and of course all the legends about the crucifixes, the stakes to the heart, and the need to ask for permission to enter a house aren`t ignored here. This last element taken from the very successful vampire Swedish film Let the Right One In (which in my humble opinion is the best vampire film ever). It also manages to make fun of Twilight whenever given the chance claiming that vampires aren`t sentimental and even makes references to that movie. Colin Farrell is the star of the film, but the rest of the actors also did a great job. Anton Yelchin is a good actor and he nails his role with his charming innocence. Toni Collette looks great playing her mother, and Imogen Poots is much more than the typical dumb blonde. Christopher Mintz-Plasse and David Tennant are responsible for most of the laughs of the film and the funny moments. The movie is well made, it`s clever, entertaining, I just wish it would`ve been scarier. The effects are pretty well done and there`s also plenty of blood for gore fans. Despite everything the movie has going for it, I don`t think I would`ve enjoyed it as much if it weren’t for Colin Farrell. He lifts this movie and makes it worth seeing. Fright Night isn`t a great movie, but it`s worth a watch.

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